It may look like something you'd find on the lot of your local Chrysler dealer but the Police Pursuit Vehicle has a few extras you and I can't get

A Peterborough-Lakefield Community Police Service Dodge Charger cruiser

(PETERBOROUGH) For years now, movie and TV police chases have shown us hopped-up V8 police cruisers power sliding through intersections in pursuit of the bad guys.

The truth about today's police cars is a little less dramatic.

Sure, they're specially modified machines designed to catch evil doers but you don't need a big V8 or a tire-smoking slide to do that. The performance modifications are designed to keep police cruisers tight to the road. The traction control system could reign in even the best moves of Tom Selleck as Magnum P.I.

The other big area for beefed-up performance is idling. That's right, the dramatic police work of sitting in an idling car filling out a speeding ticket or leaving an idling car to investigate a crime scene.

"The guys are safe and the equipment is good."

It's his job to sort through what's out there and decide what's best for the needs of the Peterborough-Lakefield department.

Once a year, he ventures to the Chrylser proving grounds where Michigan State Police host departments from across North American to come and see them put new police vehicles to the test.

He likes the Dodge Charger. It's not just the aggressive look. Chargers are roomy and perform well at a reasonable price.

The 3.6 litre V6, he notes, does the job. Sure, a Hemi V8 would get officers across town a few seconds quicker but the trade-off in the cost to buy and fuel it isn't worth the hit to the budget, he explains.

"It's not the best car on the market and it's not the worst," he says.

The solid mid-pack approach is extended to the police package options that he says do the job within budget.

"The guys are safe and the equipment is good," he emphasizes.

Aside from Chargers, Mr. Carson's fleet also includes three SUVs, three Harley-Davidson motorcycles, six mountain bikes, a forensics van, an converted ambulance for the Emergency Response Team, and a few odd other vehicles, adding up to about 50 in all.

All-in-all, he says police pursuit-rated vehicles are quite similar to the ones anyone can see in the showroom. They're just a little more heavy duty. There's an extra large alternator and heavy duty battery to make sure it can power all the lights and communications equipment. And a larger gas tank means escorting prisoners to other jurisdictions won't require a fuel stop.

Proximity-sensing keyless entry and push button start means officers don't need to fish through their pockets for they keys. There's even anti-theft features.

An empty idling cruiser may look like a tempting joy ride but even if you manage to get in, the car will shut off as soon as you try to drive away.

Mr. Carson says the biggest priority is safety. From extra air bags to fresh tires, the cars also get regular service through a contract with the City public works department.

If an officer turns on the windshield wipers, the car automatically puts the brake pads a little closer to the disc to keep some heat in them in case of emergency.

If an officer rolls a cruiser, he says it can take 400 times its own weight on impact.

You may not be able to walk into a dealership and order your own pursuit-rated vehicle but Mr. Carson says the department usually keep cars for about four years before selling them at auction to the public.

It'll be stripped of all the police gear but the heavy-duty extras will remain. The department replaces the back seat for cruiser duty with an easy-to-clean rubber replacement but puts the original seat back in for resale.

Mr. Carson regularly evaluates what's on the market to see it works for Peterborough. Front-wheel-drive didn't work well but all-wheel-drive is proving handy.

He's looking into Blackberry Playbooks for running the electronics and communication devices in the cruisers.

There's also the 6 litre V8 Chevrolet Caprice that he's been eyeing up but more than price and fuel mileage are holding him back. It's not yet available in Canada.